


The Accident & After

by mitigates



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aftercare, Alternate Universe - College/University, Based on a True Story, Daichi Fluff, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Life Changes, Miscarriage, Miya Twins, Miya twins have a sister, Mostly Fluff, POV Original Female Character, Personal loss, kind of, this is rough
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:48:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 19,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24791095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mitigates/pseuds/mitigates
Summary: The younger sister of Atsumu and Osamu Miya picks up the pieces of her life after several life changing events. Slow burn.(This is just me inserting my personal life into my work. Bare with me. There's probably not going to be any smut in this like my usual stuff, just hurt/comfort story. Also, they're in college instead of high school)
Relationships: eventual Sawamura Daichi/Original Female Character
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

I waved wildly at my twin brothers on the court below me. “Atsumuuuu! Osamuuuu!” They looked up at the same time and each cracked a smile. Atsumu waved wildly back, grinning at me, and Osamu pretended not to know me. I crossed my arms across my chest and yelled again, “OSAMUUU! I’M YOUR NUMBER ONE FAN OSAMU!” He glared at me and I couldn’t help but laugh.

The group of girls next to me also glared, their homemade fan signs dotting the floor with glitter. “Who is she-” They whispered to each other.

Their stare fell to my stomach which I held a hand over instinctively. I was 3 months along at that point and only showing because I was 5’2 and 110 pounds before the baby. I’d already gained 10 pounds, mostly due to stress, but it all went straight to my belly. I bit the inside of my cheek and looked back at the court, feeling slightly self-conscious. 

Osamu finally scowled at the girls next to me, his death glare cutting through the crowd and landing on them. They froze in place and I couldn’t help but smile at his overprotectiveness. He finally waved at me and gave me a hand signal that the three of us adopted from our favorite anime that we grew up watching together as kids: Fairy Tail.

I pointed my finger high in the air and stuck my thumb out. Osamu and Atsumu did the same.

They turned back to the court and started warming up. I took my seat a few columns over the insanely large marching band that Inarizaki brought with them. It was ridiculous and so loud. I sat in the front row of a high level where I could see everything perfectly. I heard laughing and joking beside me and looked over to see the former underdog of every tournament, Karasuno College.

The loud ginger guy sat in the front excitedly chattering about Atsumu’s serving. Karasuno beat Inarizaki at Nationals in high school in an insane 3 sets. It was incredible to watch. He still watched Atsumu with such bright eyes. I recognized most of them, I just only knew a few of their names. I knew their wild Libero from middle school. We were in the same class. 

He caught my eye and jumped up, “Holy shit! Miya-san!” The head of every single team member turned to see what Noya was shouting at and running towards. Noya reached me and bowed, making me giggle. 

“Noya, I’ve told you, don’t call me that!” I swatted his shoulder and pulled him into a hug. “Call me Aimi, for the last time.”

Noya bowed again after hugging me, “Sorry, Aimi!” He was almost shouting and it was deathly embarrassing. I followed him toward his team.

I caught the little ginger guy’s eye behind him and waved. “Hi! I remember you from last year, can you still jump that high?”

He blushed wildly but stood and grinned brightly. “My high jump is 350 cm, we just measured it last week!”

I smiled back at him. “That’s amazing. It’s Hinata, right? You’ve grown some too.”

“Please stop, if you inflate that ego any further he’s going to float away.” Their tall brooding starting setter yanked on Hinata’s jacket, pulling him back into his seat.

Hinata scowled at him and I couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s nice to see you guys.”

“You’re here to watch your brothers?” Noya spoke up from beside me.

I nodded and pushed my hair back. “Yeah, they insisted. Overprotective brotherly type stuff.”

“Atsume and Osamu are your brothers?” A guy that sat a couple of rows back spoke up, leaning forward slightly and smiling at me. I believed he was their captain.

“Yeah, I’m Aimi Miya.” 

“Daichi Sawamura.” His smile was kind of contagious. His smile fell to my stomach that I was still holding protectively. I had read it was an unconscious action that would increase throughout my pregnancy. I didn’t even realize when I was doing it. “Congratulations. You two must be happy-”

Noya tried to nudge Daichi, but he wasn’t quick enough to catch on before my face fell. I forced a smile. “Thank you. I should get back.”

Daichi looked like he wanted to say more, but Noya nudged him again and he just waved.

I leaned over the railing in front of me just as Osamu scored with a killer spike that rebounded into the stands. I waved my hands in the air. “OSAMUUUUUUUU!” He shot me another deadpan look and I waved more.

They won the first set 25-19 and lost the second set 25-23. They were up in the third set, 13-12 and so close to the match point. Things started getting tense in the gym. A group of guys a few rows back from me were die-hard cheering from the other team. They were getting obnoxiously loud when ‘Tsumu went to serve. The gym went dead quiet when he served. Fans knew that’s how you would get the best show out of him, but the group behind me was booing so loudly that it was starting to hurt my ears.

I stood up to move as a timeout was taken and they started yelling at me.

“Oi, Miya-san! Come sit with us, watch your boys lose!” One of the guys jeered.

I ignored them and grabbed my bag.

“Don’t ignore us, little girl-” Another guy joined in.

I rolled my eyes and stared at them. “Inarizaki is not losing today,” I spoke confidently.

That annoyed them further. One of them dumped a bag of popcorn at my feet as I walked by. “Whoops!” He smiled and held his hand out. “Let me help you!” 

“No, I’m good, thank you.” I pushed past them and moved to the front row of the band.

Inarizaki won the last set, 17-15 and I made sure to cheer the loudest.


	2. Tea Time

“Aimi-girl, are you coming again today? You are, right?” ‘Tsumu called out from the other side of the bathroom.

“Don’t call me Aimi-girl!” It was a pestering childish nickname that he found hilarious. Atsumu loved reminding me how much younger than him I was, even though it was only 2 years. “I’m going to go, I just- I just-” I felt bile rise up in my throat and emptied the contents of my stomach in the toilet. “Just need to vomit first.”

“Oh, gross.” I heard Osamu comment from somewhere behind Atsumu.

I rinsed my mouth out and brushed my teeth for the third time that morning. I looked in the mirror and willed the bile down. It tried to resist, but I was ultimately the winner. I emerged from the bathroom to one smiling face and one brooding one. For twins, they sure had strangely different personalities. They complimented each other as opposites, it showed on the court.

“Take this.” Osamu handed me a button-up sweater.

“It’s not even cold. We are outside for like...four seconds from the walk to the car!” I cried out, taking the sweater anyway because I knew he would complain about having to carry it later when he still took it even after I said no.

“Aimi-girl,” ‘Tsumu stared at my outfit and bit his cheek. “Is that what you’re wearing?”

I looked down. “What’s wrong with this?”

He narrowed his eyes and nudged the sweater. “Put that on.”

I realized my two stupid brothers were offended by my outfit. It was tasteful, it was a cute maternity dress that hugged my belly. Granted, my chest had doubled in size over the last couple weeks and I’m sure that’s what they were referring to, but it had a cute criss-cross pattern that covered my cleavage for the most part. I thought it was cute. “You’re both annoying. I pulled the sweater on but I didn’t button it up.

They threw their hands in the air and we left for the gym.

“What time do you play today?” I asked as I glanced at my phone.

“At 3,” Osamu replied.

My eyes nearly bulged out of my head. “It’s 10 am! What am I supposed to do until 3!” I yelled at both of them and flicked the back of their necks. 

“Oi!”

“Owow-” Atsumu rubbed the back of his neck and turned to glare at me. “I’ve arranged for you to have fun today, Aimi, jeez! Don’t be so damn mean! You’re going to hang out with an old friend of ours. She’s a manager and their team doesn’t have a game today. You’re going to get a massage, and someone’s going to wash your hair and paint your toes or something.” 

I squealed loudly. “Who is it? Is she someone I know?”

“No, you haven’t met- oh wait, she’s calling.” Atsumu picked up his phone and started rubbing his temples like he did when he was about to get frustrated. His mood swings could get pretty bad sometimes. “No! Absolutely not!” He almost yelled into the receiver. He looked back at my confused, but hopeful and excited face and sighed. “Fine, but warn him-” Whoever he was talking to hung up on him. 

“What was that about?” I inquired as my face started to lose any sense of glee about that day.

“Just a small change of plans. She isn’t available anymore.” 

“Oh.” The octave in my voice dropped immensely. “That’s okay,” I reassured him, “I can go by myself-”

“Absolutely not.” He sighed again and looked out the window as we parked. “She’s sending the captain of their team to accompany you.” He turned to face me. “You’ve met him before-”

“Sawamura-san?” I pointed behind Atsumu where I saw Daichi Sawamura sitting on the stairs in front of the gym, glancing from his phone toward the crowd of people. The formalities of his last name stuck with me.

“Yes,” Atsumu grunted.

“Why did she send Daichi?” Osamu questioned, his voice taking on a gruff tone.

“It was Daichi or Tanaka-”

“Daichi is definitely my choice there.” They got out of the car and opened my door. Atsumu put his arm around my shoulders and glared at Daichi who hadn’t seen us yet. “If he even seems like he’s going to flirt with you- shut him down.” He was dead serious and I couldn’t help the giggle that escaped my throat.

Ever since the last guy I was with, Atsumu and Osamu were fiercely protective. My previous boyfriend was also my fiance and also the father of my baby. His name was Hirotaka, the best man I’ve ever known (next to my brothers, of course).

I would never forget the day I found out I was pregnant. It was early still, I was only a few weeks along, and I got hit with morning sickness right away. It was so bad that I was on bed rest for the first month and a half. However, I was on bed rest in my brother’s den for that time. The day I told Hirotaka that he was going to be a father, he was killed by a drunk driver. It happened minutes after I got off the phone with him. He hung up with me and got into his car on his way home from work. I was already planning all the things we were going to do to celebrate. I heard his car pull in front of our little apartment. I remembered thinking how weird it was that he parked on the street and not the driveway. I would find out that it wasn’t him, it was police officers coming to tell me that my fiance was dead. Coming to the tournament with the guys was the first actual outing I’d had since I lost Hiro. I left the house to check the mail and take the trash out and sit outside and see the doctor, but that was it. It took everything for them to convince me to come to the tournament, but I did really want to see them play.

I smiled lightly and squeezed his cheeks. “I love you, big brothers.”

They both smiled back at me, even Osamu broke into a grin because they couldn’t help themselves when I said that and I knew it.

We approached Daichi and I realized immediately, by the look on his face, that we probably looked crazy. I was small and pregnant while these two towering guys were glowering behind me. I could feel the heat radiating off of them.

“Sawamura-san. Hi!” I smiled at Daichi and offered him my hand.

He had the cutest smile. It made my breath catch in my throat because I hadn’t even looked at anybody since I lost Hiro. “Please, it’s Daichi. Aimi, right?”

Atsumu interrupted immediately. “No. It’s Miya-san.”

I elbowed him discreetly. “Do not listen to them. It’s Aimi.” I noticed he wasn’t in his usual practice clothes. He had a plain white t-shirt that brought out his tan skin and dark eyes paired with simple black jeans. “No practice today?”

“We already did.” He laughed and stood up. “They like to go early.”

“Showoffs.”

“Yeah, that’s not necessary.” 

I elbow both of them the second time. They both huffed and handed Daichi my bag like I was incapable of carrying it myself. “I can carry my own bag!” I reached for it, but Daichi accepted it with a small smile.

“We are entrusting her to you,” Osamu commented, making himself as tall as possible.

“If she comes back damaged, we will-” Atsumu was about to threaten this poor guy into oblivion.

“Would you two shut up? Don’t you have practice to attend or something? I can take care of myself-” They interrupted me for the last time.

“Um, no-”

“That’s why he’s here-”

I blinked at Daichi and he shrugged slightly. “Kiyoko gave me the rundown for today.” He pulled his phone out and showed it to me.

“She gave you an itinerary?” I laughed and bit my lip.

“Send us that so we know where to find you if we need you.” Atsumu said as he tried to grab Daichi’s phone.

I knocked his hand away. “He will not and you will not need me. This looks good. Let’s go!” I waved my brothers off and headed toward the more relaxing side of the gym with Daichi.

Our first stop was breakfast. I couldn’t even think about stomaching food, so I spent a solid 15 minutes convincing Daichi he could eat and I might just pick off of his plate. 

“You know what I’d kill for?” I wondered aloud as I took a fry off of his tray. “Taro milk tea.”

Daichi’s eyes lit up. “I know a place, it’s on the way to our next stop so I don’t think the demon twins will be bothered too much by a deviation in our strict schedule.”

I laughed at the nickname. “Don’t worry about them. They’re probably elbow-deep in practice right now. I am definitely adjusting the schedule to allow time for taro tea.”

He took me to a small tea shop that was not far from the massage place Kiyoko made an appointment at. He was trying not to laugh as he watched me order.

“Which of these jellies are the best? Maybe I should stick with regular boba? Oh, they have the little baby boba! Wait, is that green apple jelly? No-” I perused their wide selection of drink add-ons and Daichi simply waited by the register. 

I slurped down the taro tea and tiny boba balls the moment it hit my hand. “Ahhhh.” I groaned quietly.

“Should I leave you and your tea alone?” Daichi smiled at me, his own plain black tea in hand.

I blushed. “It’s so good that I just might say yes.”

Daichi was so easy to talk to. We got into a discussion of our childhood, we went through middle school and high school. We laughed and smiled and joked about every little thing. It was easy with him, so much so that it almost hurt. 

The alarm on his phone interrupted our conversation of comparing what the best sushi topping was. “Massage time.”

I pumped my fist in the air and realized we had just been sitting there talking for nearly two hours. That was supposed to be how much time was between lunch and the massage.

We stepped up to the receptionist who greeted us with a smile.

“Hi! I have a reservation, I believe it’s under Miya?”

“Yes, Miya-san, reservation for 2? Kiyoko-san called us earlier and informed us of the change. Are you still okay being in the same room?” 

I glanced back at Daichi who was clearly not informed of this change. “Uh- I don’t- It’s not-” He stammered.

“Come on, you have to relax those volleyball muscles sometime, yeah?” I smiled at him and he relented so easily.

* * *

A little while into the best body touching experience of my life, I realized I had fallen asleep. Not only did I fall asleep, but I was sleeping on someone’s leg. I could feel the soft weight of an arm resting on my side. I yawned and rolled my head back, coming face to face with Daichi. 

“At what point did I fall asleep?” I asked quietly.

He glanced down from his phone and smiled softly. “You finished the first massage and kind of looked like a zombie after that. I met you for a soak in the baths and you looked even more zombied out after that.” He scratched his chin. “You were headed to get some tea and you saw me sitting here and just laid down. I have to say, it was kind of adorable.”

I blushed fiercely and sat up. 

He laughed softly and stood up. “I was just about to wake you. It’s 2:30, we should probably get going.” 

I jumped up at the mention of the time. “Oh shit!”


	3. The Accident

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tw: miscarriage.

I went to the same place I was sitting the day before and settled into my seat. I turned, surprised that Daichi was settling in next to me. “You’re going to stay and watch?”

“Of course. Figured I’d keep you company.”

Daichi and I talked the entire first set. I didn’t even realize who won until I heard Inarizaki’s band start pumping a song out.

I looked at the court and stood near the railing. “GOOOOO ATSUMUUUUUUU! GOOOO OSAMUUUUU!” They both turned to glare at me, except they weren’t looking at me, they were looking at Daichi. 

Atsumu pointed at his wrist indicating that it was time for Daichi to go. I hid my finger with one hand and flipped him off. Osamu slapped Atsumu on the back and they went back to their second set.

“Hey, are you hungry?” Daichi looked back at the game and they were still a few minutes from starting up again.

“I’m starving. It’s not even funny how hungry I am.” I admitted, rubbing my belly.

“What are you in the mood for?” Daichi stood and waited for me to answer.

“It’s late in the day, so I can eat anything,” I responded cheerfully. “A stadium feast is right up my alley. Here, take my card-”

Daichi held up a hand. “Not happening, sweetheart. I got it. I’ll be right back.” He gave me a small smile then headed towards a snack bar.

I turned my attention back to the game as they finished changing sides. My phone vibrated in my pocket and I pulled it out. “Are you kidding me.” I slid it open to answer it. “Are you two kidding me?” I pointed down at the court.

Atsumu waved at me. “Why are you still hanging out with him?” 

Osamu grabbed the phone. “Tell him to go away.”

“I will not. He’s getting me food.” I hung up the phone. They tried calling me back and I declined it instantly. I wagged my finger at them. I was about to sit down when I realized I had an intense craving for a specific candy bar. I didn’t have Daichi’s number and doubted that he would include it in a stadium feast. 

I stopped at the jeering that was a couple of rows back from me. “Hey, Inarizaki-girl! Come sit with us. Your boyfriend ditch you?”

“He’s not-” I rolled my eyes and decided not to engage. “No, thank you. Excuse me-”

“You’re a bit of a prude. I thought pregnant girls were always horny or something.” The bigger guy laughed with his friend.

“Excuse me,” I repeated as the blonde guy sitting on the end of the row stepped in front of me.

The bigger guy tossed his drink at my feet as I stepped up a stair and it made me lose my footing. I tried to reach out for the railing in the middle of the walkway, but I missed it. The blonde guy jumped out of the way and I came down hard on the stairs. I felt a pop and a sharp jolt of pain. 

“Oh-” I stayed there and slowly pushed myself up on my hands. The blonde guy reached for me but I swatted his hands away. “Don’t-DON’T TOUCH ME!” I screamed at him, louder than I think I realized I was being. My breath became ragged as I tried to take a deep one, but couldn’t. I felt another sharp jolt of pain and realized it was coming from my stomach. “Shit-” I gripped my stomach and felt the pain spread to my back. “Help-” I whispered to the floor. “Help-” 

“I’m trying-” The blonde guy grabbed my arm.

“DON’T TOUCH ME!” I screamed again. The stadium seemed quiet. I had a feeling the game wasn’t going on anymore. 

“Aimi- Aimi, what’s wrong? What happened?” I couldn’t bear to look up, but I could hear Daichi.

“Daichi- Daichi, please- help. Help- something is wrong.” I let Daichi pull me up and steady me on my feet. “Something is wrong- I need to-” I doubled over as the pain in my back increased. I felt more jolts of pain in my stomach. I gripped Daichi as I felt warmth between my legs. I looked down in horror as I saw blood spread down my leg.

The last thing I remembered was Daichi yelling.


	4. Falling Apart

The tournament was paused for the rest of the week in order for a short investigation. The police wanted me to press charges, but I didn’t have it in me to deal with it. It was mostly just an irresponsible accident.

It was Saturday and I was staring at the plain wall of my bedroom in the den. I had been staring at that wall for 2 days. I spent the other 2 days crying. I couldn’t remember anything from the last few days, not a single thing.

The only thing that I could remember was that I lost the last little bit I had of Hiro.

I lost the last thing that he and I had together.

I lost my baby.

Atsumu and Osamu kept popping in throughout the day, adding a tray of food and taking away a tray that I hadn’t touched. They didn’t let anybody visit me in the hospital, but I didn’t want to see anybody either way. I didn’t know what I was going to do.

* * *

Sunday was more of the same, except I had something to eat that I could actually taste. I got out of bed to take a shower. I stood under the water for almost an hour before the water turned cold. I stepped out and ignored the mirror. I had the energy to lift a toothbrush and wash my hair, but not to look at myself.

I was scared of what I would see.

I took a deep breath, pulled on pajamas, and sat in the kitchen. I laid my head against the cold wood and closed my eyes. I heard the front door open, light chatter then shuffling towards the kitchen. I heard several pairs of feet, but I didn’t want to open my eyes to see who else was there. I felt something cold against my hand and opened my eyes slowly to see my favorite purple drink sitting next to me. 

Daichi.

I couldn’t look at him. I just couldn’t. The last thing I remembered was his soft voice shaking into a yell as he called for someone to call an ambulance. I felt his grip on my arm as he pulled me to my feet. I heard him whispering in my ear that it was going to be okay. It wasn’t okay and I had a strong feeling that it wasn’t ever going to be okay again.

“Is it okay that I’m here?” Daichi spoke softly. I had to wonder how the hell he got past my brothers. How did he convince them to let him inside this house?

I sighed and stood, not facing any of them. “I don’t care.” I walked back into my room and didn’t leave it again for the rest of the day.

I felt a gentle knock on my door sometime later. I glanced at the clock and it told me it was almost 9 pm. I rolled over and faced the door. It creaked open slightly and Osamu placed a hot cup of tea on my nightstand. My eyes followed it and stayed there until he left.

Atsumu knocked on my door next around 10. I rolled over again and faced the door. Atsumu actually made eye contact with me. His face was expressionless, he had the same look in his eye that I probably did.

“Do you wanna watch a movie?” 

I rolled over and faced the ceiling. I stared at it for a moment before responding just prior to the door shutting. “Yes.”

I grabbed my lukewarm cup of tea and followed Atsumu into the living room. He had all my favorites set out and it made my throat feel tight. There he was putting in an effort to make me feel better, make me feel something, and I could barely acknowledge it.

I sat next to him on the couch and accepted the blanket he pulled over my bare legs. I glanced around the living room and noticed a strange jacket slung over the coffee table. I tilted my head slightly and saw the crow patch sewn into the sleeve. I motioned to it as Atsumu browsed through the movies we had. “He’s still here?”

Atsumu nodded and went back to browsing.

“Why?” I questioned, setting my untouched tea down in front of me.

He shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Then why did you let him in?” My voice took on a tone that I didn’t recognize.

He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. “What do you want to watch?”

I blinked at him. “Pacific Rim.” I said the first movie that came to mind that I knew we didn’t have.

Atsumu stood up and walked toward the kitchen. He came back minutes later with the Pacific Rim BluRay. 

“Where did you get that?” I watched him slide the movie into his Xbox.

He shrugged.

“Why are you hell bent on annoying me tonight?” My annoyance finally got the best of me and I stood up, glowering at him.

He turned to look at me and sighed. “Let’s just watch the movie, Aimi-girl. I’m sorry.”

I rolled my eyes and sat back down. I waited until we were a few minutes into the movie to ask him again. “When did you buy this?” I poked his hands with my foot. I was laying sideways across the couch with my feet against his thigh.

“I didn’t.” He flicked my feet away.

“When did Osamu buy it then?” I nudged him harder.

He sighed. “He didn’t.”

“Then who-” It suddenly struck me that it had to have been Daichi. I remembered talking about it in the tea shop that he took me to. We discussed our top 5 favorite movies of all time and Pacific Rim was always on my list. I can’t believe he remembered that. I stayed quiet as long as I could, another half hour or so. I looked over and noticed Atsumu was dead asleep. I kicked him hard enough to jostle him awake.

He groaned and rubbed his eyes. “I hate you and your taste in movies. I’m going to get my replacement. Stay here.” He stood up and was down the hall before I had a chance to speak. He reappeared 5 minutes later, talking too low for me to hear, and poked his head around the wall to the hallway.

I stared at him. “What?”

“He can’t sleep.” Atsumu all but yanked Daichi out from behind him.

Daichi looked like Atsumu had just woken him up as well. I stared at Daichi, not knowing what to say or do. I simply nodded and watched Atsumu disappear back into the dark hallway. Daichi shuffled over to the couch and glanced at the empty seat. “Is it okay if I sit?” I nodded again. I pulled my feet away slightly and turned my attention back to the screen.

We sat in silence until Gypsy Danger exploded and ripped the breach into pieces. I grabbed a fourth handful of peanut M&M’s and shoved them all in my mouth. 

The movie ended and we still sat there, staring at the credits. 

The silence didn’t hurt like it had the previous days. It wasn’t deafening or painful or lonely. It was bad...it just wasn’t as bad as it had been.

The screen went back to the main menu and neither of us made a move for the controller. I wasn’t sure if he just didn’t want to impose or if he was as confused as I was. 

Daichi finally broke to silence. “I tried to come by and see you, but...they said I wasn’t family. I wasn’t sure if you’d even want to, but...I tried.” I don’t know why he was explaining that to me, but it felt like something I needed to hear. I merely nodded. “And I’m sorry about the day we met- I didn’t know-” His voice trailed off and I wasn’t sure what he was referring to at first until I remembered Noya trying to get him to stop talking.

“It’s okay.” My voice was quiet. I wasn’t sure if he even heard me.

“It was disre-”

“It’s fine. Please.” I did not want to talk about Hiro. I couldn’t. 

“Do you want to talk?”

“I don’t know.” I admitted. I didn’t know. I didn’t know what I wanted to do. “I think so.”

“What do you want to talk about?”

“I think-” I took a breath and started talking. I didn’t realize tears were dripping down my face until I wiped my sleeve across my cheeks and it came back wet. I looked at Daichi and he was just there to listen. He was staring across the room at a bookshelf, so I continued talking. It felt cathartic. “I feel like...I feel like I did the ultimate disrespect towards Hiro. I feel like I lost the only thing left that we had. I lost it. I let it go. I lost it. I lost my- I lost everything.”

“Please don’t blame yourself.” Daichi’s voice sounded strained. I looked at him again and noticed his fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles were white. I didn’t say anything, I just stared at his hands. He released his grip when he saw me watching. “Don’t blame yourself.”

“Maybe one day I won’t.” I shrugged, wiping my other cheek. “For now...I’m just going to go to sleep. It’s a new day and all.” The clock read just after midnight. 

He nodded slowly and leaned forward. “I realize this is selfish of me to say, but I really wish I would have gotten there faster. If I was there even seconds earlier.” Daichi spoke so low I couldn’t help but move closer to hear him. When the weight of his guilt hit me, I let a long breath out.

“If it’s not my fault, it’s definitely not yours.” I reached out and squeezed his shoulder reassuringly, he gave me a small sad smile. Something about the way that Daichi looked at me felt different than anybody else. It felt okay and that was the furthest thing away from how I was feeling.

He leaned towards me and opened his arms slightly. I reached towards him for a hug.

“Oh, Daichi.” I started sobbing against his shoulder. “Thank you.” I stayed like that until I could barely hold myself up anymore, until I had nothing left to let out.


	5. Sneaking Out

I woke up the next morning on the couch by myself. I wasn’t expecting Daichi to be sleeping next to me, but something deep down told me I wouldn’t have minded. I dragged myself to the kitchen and saw it was only 7. I could hear the boys up already, showering and singing loudly to themselves in separate bathrooms. The habits that they shared were ridiculous.

I filled a glass of water and grabbed a pain pill from my dresser. I was taking them as little as possible, but I planned to leave the house that day so I tried to prepare for it. 

I pulled on a clean pair of leggings and a baggy t-shirt. My stomach was clearly going to take its sweet time to get back to not looking pregnant. The t-shirt I chose wasn’t big enough so I went into Atsumu’s room. His dresser was so unorganized. It was messy and I couldn’t find a shirt anywhere. I started pulling all the drawers open.

Boxers and socks. No.

Workout shorts. No.

Spandex shorts? An entire drawer? No.

I found tank tops and workout shirts but nothing that would cover me the way I wanted it to. I slammed the drawers shut and realized I was crying. I took deep breaths and went into his closet. He hung up his jerseys, random pairs of jeans and even had shoes littered across the floor. My breathing became faster and heavier as I started panicking at not finding a suitable shirt to wear.

“Can I help you?” Atsumu’s voice from the doorway interrupted my searching.

“I need a shirt- I just need a fucking shirt! I need a shirt to wear, my shirts don’t fit, I have all these fucking maternity clothes and all these stupid tight shirts and dresses and tank tops and I need a shirt that doesn’t show all of this. I need a shirt!” I didn’t realize how hysterical I sounded until I heard Osamu’s feet padding down the hallway as he power walked to Atsumu’s room. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. “I just…”

“Need a shirt?” Atsumu came up next to me and reached into a second dresser that I didn’t even see. He searched for a second then plucked out a shirt and handed it to me. “This is the biggest one I have.”

I took it from him with shaky hands and pulled it over my tank top. Bless my big brothers, it was perfect. It just made me look small. “Thank you, big brother.” The two of them surrounded me. They seemed hesitant at first but they both reached out for a hug at the same time.

* * *

I sat in the kitchen waiting for them. I pulled on a pair of sandals and drank a smoothie.

Osamu came in first and stared at me. “What are you doing?”

“What do you mean? I’m waiting for you two.” I finished my smoothie and moved to the sink to wash the cup.

“Why?” Osamu hadn’t moved from the doorway to the kitchen.

“So I can go with you.”

“No.” I spun around at Osamu’s rejection and stared at him.

“Excuse me?”

“You’re not going with us.” He confirmed.

“And why not?” 

“You’re not going back to that gym, Aimi.” Atsumu appeared next.

I scowled at him. “Yes, I am. I am not sitting around here all day.”

“Yes, you are. You should rest. Watch some movies. Order pizza. You’re not going back to that gym.” Atsumu’s face changed. It wasn’t the soft caring older brother it was a few minutes ago, it was hard and tense.

I looked at Osamu and he mirrored his brother’s expression. “I want to go.”

“No.” They spoke at the same time. Atsumu grabbed their bags and the keys. They left shortly after. I saw Osamu’s phone on the counter and glared at it. I had half a mind to break it. I pulled it open and called Atsumu to tell him it was left behind. They hadn’t left yet.

I quickly grabbed my own phone and transferred a number that I couldn’t believe Osamu even had. I went back into my room and waited until I heard the door open then shut again seconds later. I dialed the number.

_Hello?_

Noya! Noya, hi, it’s Aimi.

_Aimi? Holy shit, Aimi, hi, how are you? Hey...I heard about what happened, I’m so sorry, Aimi._

Thank you, Noya. Listen...I need your help with something.

_I’m listening._

My brothers refused to take me to the gym today, but I wanted to go. I want to watch them play, I always watch them play. Do you know anybody that can take me? It’s too far to walk.

_You can count on me, Aimi. What’s your address?_

I texted Noya my address and he secured me a ride a couple hours later. The boys game was at 11 so I still had plenty of time. I waited outside for the ride and the one person I hadn’t really talked to at all before was behind the wheel. Coach Ukai.

“Miya-san?” He called out after rolling down the passenger window.

I nodded and got into the car. “It’s Aimi.”

The car ride was mostly silent until we pulled in front of the gym. “I met you before, you know, it was a long time ago though. You were a lot younger. I was with my old Ukai at the Sakanoshita store. I knew your parents. You were always three really wild children.” He laughed softly at the memory. He pulled the keys out and looked over at me. “I just wanted to say-”

“It’s okay. Thank you. And thank you so much for the ride, please don’t mention it to my brothers if you happen to see them. They didn’t want me to come. I probably should have brought a disguise or something.” My blonde hair fell over my shoulders, the color matched Atsumu’s hair color perfectly.

“I might have something.” Ukai reached back into a duffel bag in the backseat and pulled out a hat. “This will help.” He handed me a worn Karasuno high school hat.

“Thank you, this is perfect.” I gave him a smile and thanked him again before disappearing into the gym. 

* * *

I picked up a map that showed where the guys were playing that day, they weren’t playing in the same area as before, but I couldn’t tell where exactly they were that day. I was scrunching my face up at the map when I felt a tap on my shoulder. 

I turned and saw my favorite little libero. “Noya!” I hugged him tight. 

He hugged me back gently. “I’m glad you got here okay. Did you need help finding something?”

I furrowed my eyebrows, “Yeah, I can’t tell where the floor is that my brothers are playing.”

He pulled his phone out and looked at the schedule. “Oh, they’re playing on the same court as us, I can take you.” He flicked my hat. “Is that supposed to be a disguise or something?”

“Hey, don’t knock my disguise.” I readjusted my hat and attempted to cover my hair. “I look like you in high school, yeah?”

Noya laughed loudly and hugged me again. “You absolutely do. Come on.”

I followed him to where the guys were warming up already. I wasted over an hour walking around being lost. Noya pointed to an area I could stand that was just off the courts, he flashed a pass and they let us both in. 

“Stay here, that way you can see both our games!” Noya jumped over the railing and grinned at me. “Do you need anything? A chair? Water? We have water or those electrolyte drinks. We have snacks, I think Kageyama has some, he always-”

“I’m fine, Noya. Thank you.” I pushed him gently toward his team and leaned over the railing. “FIRE IT UP, FIRE IT UP KARASUNO!” I cheered so loudly over the railing, the whole team turned to see who was making so much noise. I smiled and waved wildly at them. 

Noya, Hinata and Tanaka pumped their fists in the eye. Tsukishima and Kageyama rolled their eyes, bothered by everything in life. They glared at each other after noticing their mutual disdain. I caught Daichi’s eye and gave him a thumbs up. He returned the gesture and smiled.

I moved slightly and flipped my hat backwards. I cupped my hands around my mouth and was about to shout again when a ball came flying into the stands. It hit the railing right in front of me and I knew it was on purpose. 

Shinsuke Kita, the captain of the team, grabbed the ball after waiving off 3 different ball boys. “Aimi.” He greeted me with a tight smile. “I was told you weren’t going to be here today.”

“Oh? By who?” I asked sweetly.

He glanced back at the court to see if the other two Miya’s had seen me, but they hadn’t yet. He jogged away and called out, “You’re a bad listener, Miya-san!”

At the sound of the Miya name, Atsumu, Osamu and Aran looked toward Kita. I immediately made my presence known. My brothers glared at me. Aran waved back and he was elbowed in the stomach by both Miya boys.

Both Inarizaki and Karasuno won their sets. Karasuno won the first two, Inarizaki won the second and third. It was incredible to see Karasuno change into a powerhouse school. They were no longer the wingless crows that people used to call them, they were constantly in flight.

My brothers approached the railing and didn’t say anything. Them yelling at you was manageable, their silence was not. They were both still scowling at me when some of the Karasuno guys wandered over.

“Aimi, a few of us were going to get lunch, did you guys want-”

“No.”

“No.”

I rolled my eyes at the twins and nodded. “They’re mad at me, so I’m not going home with them. I’d love to join you for lunch, Noya.”

As I walked away I heard Atsumu mutter that my hat was stupid.


	6. Taking Care of You

I joined Noya, Tanaka, Kiyoko, Daichi, Suga and Asahi for lunch at their favorite ramen bar. I rode over with Noya and Tanaka after they insisted they get to drive me. Kiyoko joined us and I realized at the last second that Tanaka and Kiyoko were finally together.

We arrived almost 15 minutes after the other guys did due to Tanaka’s very distracted driving. They had been to the place we were eating so many times and he still nearly got lost. They had all ordered for us already.

I sat in front of the most delicious looking bowl of miso ramen with BBQ pork I’d ever seen in my life. My eyes lit up when I saw it. I earned a stare from Asahi and Suga.

“Don’t look at me like that, I will eat this entire thing.” I caught Daichi’s eye as he passed me a bowl of fried tofu. “You ordered this for me, didn’t you?”

He grinned at me. “I did. I remember you telling me about the BBQ pork ramen that you had at the place by your house. You said it was-”

“Oh, please don’t repeat my freaky words about food.”

Daichi winked at me. “Emphasis on freaky.”

Suga looked between the two of us, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. 

I blushed and tossed a packet of chopsticks at Daichi. “What happened at the cafe, stays at the cafe.” 

All the guys talked and joked for over an hour. I mostly listened and laughed. Their personalities meshed so well. They were all such sweet guys.

I was finishing the last of my soup when I felt a dull pain creeping up. It was the same dull pain I felt the last few days in my back. The doctor mentioned the residual back pain from the miscarraige should only last a few days. Based on the low intensity I felt that day, it was probably the end of it. I stood up to excuse myself to the bathroom and sat in a stall. I clutched my stomach and tried to let my mind wander as a distraction. 

I spent the next few minutes biting my lip to keep from crying. All I wanted was to carry on that one little piece of Hiro. Just one piece of him. I didn’t have anything else. We had moved in together only months before I got pregnant. We dated for a year, our relationship was so fast but everything felt so right.

We had been friends since we were kids that turned into best friends in middle school. There was a strong denial and light flirting in high school that finally turned into us dating in college. We were playing video games together one night when everything changed. We were playing duos together and won the match by a landslide. I pumped my fists in the air in celebration and turned towards him. He smiled and kissed me. We immediately started dating after that, decided to move in together a few months later. He asked me to marry him after a weekend together and a Harry Potter marathon. He had already asked my brothers for their permission and they couldn’t have been happier to give it to him. They loved him almost as much as I did. 

I took a breath and exited the bathroom. I stood and watched the guys for a moment. I kind of felt like I was intruding, but they all made me feel so welcome. 

“Are you doing okay?” I turned to see Daichi coming out of the opposite bathroom.

I gave him a small smile and shrugged slightly. “I’m surviving.”

He put a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Good. Things without you around here would be pretty damn dull.”

“Thank you, Daichi.” I smiled wider and shook my head.

“Can I take you home?” 

“What about everyone else?” I glanced back at the table where everyone was getting up and gathering their things. 

“They’re going to ride together, they’re going to continue watching the other games for the afternoon. I was headed back to my place and figured you’d want to head home as well.”

I nodded slowly, “I would, thank you.”

Daichi drove a lot better than Tanaka did, we got back to my house in record time.

“This you?” He leaned over the steering wheel.

“Yeah, it’s my brothers house. It used to be my moms.” 

“Used to be?” Daichi unbuckled his seatbelt.

“Yeah. Our parents passed a few years back, they had me when they were older. My mom passed after complications from breast cancer and my dad...he just couldn’t live without her.” I sighed and looked back at Daichi.

“I’m sorry. I lost my mom when I was younger. It was just my dad raising me, my younger brother and my younger sister.” Daichi leaned back in his seat and tapped the steering wheel.

“I hear you’re Karasuno’s dad, so that makes sense. You grew up taking care of other people.”

He laughed and it made me feel warm. “I guess I did.” He turned to look at me. “I’d love to hang out and talk, but I feel like my soul is about to be snatched.” He motioned towards my front door.

I turned my head slowly and saw Osamu and Atsumu, arms crossed, standing in the open doorway. “Yeah, they’re a little mad at me.”

“They’re just protective. Very...protective. I get it.” He grabbed a pen from the center console and quickly scribbled something down on a piece of paper. “I’m trying to be discreet about it, but here’s my number. I’m around if you need to talk. I’m a good listener.” 

I nodded and slipped the paper into my bag. “Thank you, Daichi. Thank you.” I stepped out of the van and went to greet my brooding brothers.

They at least waited until I got in the house to start their complaining and chastising. 

“We didn’t know where you went!”

“You have to tell us where you go!”

“I’m not a child, guys. I’m perfectly capable-”

They both cut me off. Osamu slammed his hand on the table, making me jump in my seat. Out of the two of them, Osamu showed significantly less emotion. He was always calmer, more laid back and generally quieter. Usually Atsumu was the only one who could get a rise out of him, but I have a few times before. Apparently, this was another time. However, his regular demeanor flew out the window in favor of some tasteless words.

“What the fucking fuck, Aimi? You’ve been through a fucking lot these past 6 months and we are just trying to fucking take care of you! Dammit, Aimi, just let us take care of you! This is such bullshit. I get that you’re a grown fucking woman, but we are your brothers and we just want to help you however the fuck we can.” The worst thing about it was that he wasn’t lying. I knew they were trying to take care of me the only way that they knew how. I couldn’t fault either of them for it.

I simply put my hand over Osamu’s and held it there. “I know you’re just trying to take care of me, but you have to let me take care of myself too, however that is.” 

Osamu grunted in response and knew he had lost this particular battle.

Atsumu came back with a bar of soap and set it in front of Osamu. He managed to find one, wherever we went, when Osamu went on one of his profanity ridden rants.

Osamu closed his eyes, took a deep breath and sighed loudly.

“I’m healing.” I reassured both of them. “I’m trying to.” I didn’t know if I was trying to convince them or myself. “I’m going to take the car today, is that okay?”

“Yes, if you tell us where you’re going.” 

“Chouko.”

They each nodded, not saying another word. 

I was going to go visit Hiro.


	7. Remembering

The drive wasn’t that bad, it was only an hour or so. It was an easy drive, full of hills and beautiful views of the city.

I parked as close as I could get to his headstone. It wasn’t that far of a walk, a quarter of a mile. I felt my throat getting tighter the closer I got to him. My breath was ragged by the time I got there, my throat constricted with emotion.

I wiped stray dirt off of the smooth marble and kneeled in front of the headstone. Hirotaka Kobayashi was engraved across the top. He would have hated that, we spent so many nights discussing the immense differences between Hirotaka and Hiro, he always preferred Hiro. His mom chose that and I didn’t have it in me to fight her on it. 

I leaned against the cold stone and put my hand against it. “Oh, Hiro. I miss you so much.” A gust of wind picked up and blew stray leaves across my feet. I had to choke back tears. “I don’t know what to do anymore. I don’t want to lose you. I don’t want to move on without you.” I laid against the stone and curled against it.

I remembered the last time we spoke.

“Aren’t you coming home yet, Hiro? I need to talk to you!” I whined through the phone.

Hiro laughed gently. “I’m literally sitting in my car, love, I’m coming home soon. What did you want to talk to me about?”

“I want to tell you in person.” I groaned.

“Okay, okay. With traffic I’ll be home in about-”

“I’M PREGNANT, HIRO!” I shouted into the phone. I didn’t hear anything from him for a minute. I heard a crash that sounded like his phone dropping, then shuffling as he reached for it.

“What? What did you say?” He sounded so excited that it hurt.

“I’m pregnant! We are having a baby! We did it!” I shouted again, excitedly.

“WE DID IT!” I could hear him banging on the steering wheel. “We did it, I can’t believe we did it! I’M GOING TO BE A DAD! God, Aimi, I love you so much. I love you so much! I’m on my way home now. I’ll see you soon. I love you!”

In his excitement, he accidentally hung up on me before I could say anything back. We tried to call each other back, but kept getting each other's voicemail. 

Not being able to say I love you one last time to anything other than his voicemail was something that hurt the most. Every single person told me that Hiro knew I loved him, but how did I know that he knew? How did I know that he knew unless I was able to tell him?

Another gust of wind blew my hair around and I knew that Hiro was looking out for me. He had to have known. He had to have. 

I spent another half hour talking to Hiro before I stood and gave him a tearful goodbye. I felt something hit my cheek and looked up to see the swirling sky had darkened. I kissed my fingertips, pressed them to his headstone and walked back to the car.

I pulled back onto the main street just as raindrops started to hit my car. I texted my brothers before leaving that I was headed back.

By the time I got home, it was pouring. I pulled my hood over my head and ran towards the house. I shook my boots off and put them on the porch. I noticed a car parked in front of the house that I vaguely recognized. They must have friends over.

I went straight to the kitchen and was delighted to see pizza on the counter. I grabbed a slice and poked my head into the living room where I spotted my boys playing video games. I spotted Kita, Aran and Rintaro. I gave them a small wave and turned to go back to my room. As I rounded toward the hall, I heard Atsumu sternly telling Kita not to hit on me. I turned back towards the living room to make fun of them and ran right into Kita.

He steadied me with two warm hands on my shoulders. “Oh, shit. Sorry, Aimi.” He kept his hands on my shoulders as he smiled down at me. “I was just heading to the bathroom.” He sidestepped me, removed his hands and continued walking. 

I shook my head in disbelief and flopped onto my bed. I felt a nap trying to creep into my life and I readily succumbed to it. 

* * *

That nap turned into 17 and a half hours of sleep. I finally woke up around 8 the next day. 

The second to last game was that afternoon and I had every intention of going, but I wanted them to be okay with it. I yawned and changed into shorts and a t-shirt. I caught myself in my wall mirror as I walked by and frowned at my appearance. The shirt was too tight again. 

I went to Osamu’s room that time to spread the shirt stealing love. He was laying in bed, his Switch on his lap. 

He glanced up when he saw me and narrowed his eyes. “You’re here to steal my clothes.”

“Yes.”

He pointed at the second drawer of his dresser. “The bigger stuff that I don’t wear so much is towards the back.”

I immediately reached to the back of the drawer, impressed at how organized everything was. I found a shirt and pulled it on. I looked down at it and touched the soft fabric. “You still have this.”

He looked over his Switch and his face fell slightly. “I guess I do. I didn’t realize.”

I clutched the fabric. It was one of these dumb t-shirts that we got in high school when my brothers, Hiro and I ran a 5k. It was to raise money for their volleyball club, all the guys did it, but Hiro got us these stupid shirts with our faces on them. It was highly entertaining to see the team's reaction. Hiro lost his shirt that same day. I looked down at Osamu’s unsmiling face, even in fabric he was brooding. “I wish I had one with both of you on it, it is perfect for the cheering section.” I heard him sigh. “Are you okay if I go today?”

“You’re going to go anyways, so why are you asking.” It wasn’t a question.

“I won’t go if you guys don’t want me to.” I turned to face him. “I’d like to go, but I don’t have to.”

Atsumu’s voice spoke up from the doorway. “It’s fine. You can go. We already talked about it last night.”

“And also-” Osamu sighed louder and I narrowed my eyes at him. “I didn’t even say anything yet.”

“I know what you’re going to say.” Osamu picked his Switch backup and started playing again.

“We both do. I figured when I saw you talking to them during that first game you came to. We also discussed that last night and we need you to know something.” Atsumu ran his hands through his hair and looked out the window. “We need you to know that we both knew Hiro really well. We knew him so well that we know he wouldn’t have wanted you to hold yourself back. He wouldn’t have wanted you to not heal yourself in any way that you know how.” They were giving me their blessing to continue with the friendship I had recently started. I knew I didn't need it, but it was definitely something I wanted to have.

I bit my lip and wrapped my arms around Atsumu. He laughed and patted my head. 

* * *

I went to the same area as the day before. Karasuno played earlier in the day and lost in a very close third set, but their stats from the game were incredible. They were all anybody was talking about throughout the entire gym. Inarizaki was well on track to take that away though, Atsumu was still the best setter at a college level and Osamu was on his way to breaking into the top 5 spikers. They were incredible together.

It was the middle of the second set when I heard Noya behind me. I turned to see his saddened face. No matter the stakes of the tournament, if it was a smaller one like that or a bigger one, the guys were let down just the same if they lost.

I reached for a hug and Noya buried his face in my shoulder. “Oh, Noya. Guys, I’m sorry. I heard it was a really close game.” 

Suga gave me a small sad smile and nodded. “It was close, it was a good game. Everyone played exceptionally well.”

I saw Hinata sniffling behind them and my heart ached for him. I reached onto the floor next to me and held up a bag of their favorite meat buns. “I know it doesn’t make up for anything, but I have these for you guys-”

Their faces lit up when they saw the plastic bag full of food. I passed it off to them and they took turns grabbing them.

“Wait- are these celebratory meat buns or pity meat buns?” Tsukishima hesitated as he stared at the warm roll.

“They taste great all the same!” Kageyama gave me a thumbs up of approval.

“Thank you, Aimi, this was great.” Asahi held up his bun and bowed his head.

I looked around toward the back of the group, but was still confused. “Where’s Daichi?”

Suga looked pained for a moment. “He just landed pretty hard after a receive, he’s getting checked out still.”

“Is he okay?” 

“He’ll be fine, it’s just a mandatory check since he went down.”

I couldn’t describe how uncomfortable I felt with the lump that appeared in my chest. “Oh, that’s good.” My voice was barely above a whisper. I turned my attention back to the game as they all settled in around me to watch the games in front of us. I found it hard to concentrate without knowing how Daichi was doing. I didn’t even understand why. In all reality, I barely knew the guy. We just hung out a few times. Clearly what I was feeling wanted that to change.

“He texted, he’s okay, he’s on his way here.” Suga put his hand on my shoulder and leaned towards me to speak quietly. 

I felt tension immediately release from my body. I looked back and smiled, “Thank you, Suga.” Before I could turn back to the game, Daichi appeared. 

He gave me half a smile and shrugged. I motioned for him to sit with me. He limped over and took a seat next to me. I furrowed my eyebrows at his ankle that was wrapped with an ice pack attached. “Are you okay?”

“It’s nothing I can’t handle, just a mild sprain.” He kicked his injured foot out in front of him. 

“You know, you can’t text and say you’re okay then show up with a bandage on, Daichi.” I scolded him as I crossed my arms. 

“I know, I know. But I promise I’m fine.” Daichi put his hand on mine reassuringly and uncrossed my arms. He kept his hand on mine.

“WOAH! DID YOU SEE THAT SPIKE! HE WENT WHOOOOSH AND THEN BAM!” Hinata yelled excitedly from behind us. He ran over to the edge of the railing and cheered loudly.

“Oi, let me show you how it’s done.” I stood next to Hinata and yelled loudly. “ATSUMUUUUUU! OSAMUUUUUUU!” I waved wildly and laughed as Hinata copied me, jumping in the air. Osamu pretended not to hear us and Atsumu turned away, red faced. That was my favorite reaction.

“Why are they ignoring us?” Hinata asked.

“Because they suck, Shoyou. They just suck.” I sat back in my seat.

“We gotta head back, Coach is waiting for us. Were you going to stay, Daichi?” Asahi tapped on Daichi’s shoulder from behind.

“I can take him home.” I blurted out without thinking. “I mean, he took me home the other day, it’s only fair that I repay the favor. If you’re staying, that is, I’m not sure if you wanted to go.”

Daichi smiled. “I’ll stay.”

We easily fell into another regular conversation.

Why was it so easy with him?

Inarizaki won the first and second set, securing a place in the final game. I hugged my brothers over the railing as they continued to glare at Daichi. I flicked Atsumu’s forehead, “Why can’t you two just be nice to my friend?”

“What happened, Captain? Dive for a ball too fast?” Atsumu pointed at his injured leg and I flicked him again. “Ow, stop flicking me, Aimi!”

“We are giving him a ride.” I announced as I grabbed my bag.

Osamu glared again and Atsumu shook his head. “We are going to go over some game footage for a bit, Coach can take us home. You may drive him.” He tugged the keys out of his bag and handed them to me.

I bowed at him. “Thank you for your permission, senpai.”

Atsumu reached for me but I ducked away. “Come on, Daichi, they’re getting crazy out here.” Daichi laughed and hobbled to his feet. I looked him over and decided to support him whether he liked it or not. “Let me help.” I grabbed his arm before he could protest and slung it over my shoulder.

“I really don’t-”

“Nope, not taking no for an answer.” I secured my arm around his waist and walked in step with him, happy that he was limping less. “Bye boys!”

“Don’t make any moves on her!”

“Your hand is too close to-”

“BYE GUYS!” I waved them off again laughing as they grumbled while they walked away.

I made Daichi let me help him into the car. He was the kind of captain that wouldn’t show any kind of weakness, even if it was clear that he was injured, he didn’t want anybody to see him that way. He gave me the address and we talked the entire way.

He hesitated after sliding out of the car. He reached in to grab his bag and looked at me. “Did you want to come in?”

“Are you sure?”

He smiled gently and nodded. “Yes.”

Daichi’s apartment was exactly what I expected from him. It was minimalistic with dark gray hues and white accents. He had almost an entire wall just full of pictures of his team. It was the sweetest thing I’d ever seen. I was looking through his photos when I saw one that made my blood run cold. It was a photo of him and an older man in a police uniform. It was a face that I would never forget.

Daichi noticed my distress and glanced at the photo. “That’s my dad and I.”

“Y-your dad is a police officer?” I felt my throat tightening.

“Yeah, he retired a few months ago, he had a case that he didn’t deal with that well.” 

“I’m sorry- I have to go-” I rushed out of the apartment, not waiting for him to respond. I got in my car and drove back to my brother's house.


	8. Explaining

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Yes, Fairy Tail is a constant in my stories)

I was sitting on the couch stuck in a haze of Netflix and potato chips when I heard the door open. Atsumu appeared in the living room first. He looked at the Fairy Tail reruns and the half empty bag of chips and was immediately worried.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. I’m just hanging out.” I motioned to my bag of chips and tried to smile.

“You only eat those nasty chips when you’re upset. You also always go back to this episode where Gajeel dies, I only know that because I’ve seen it myself 212 times. I can’t imagine how many times you’ve seen it. What is-”

He stopped talking when he realized I was crying. They sat on either side of me and stayed quiet. “Did either of you know Daichi’s dad was a cop?”

“That’s a random tidbit of information I would not know since I don’t know Daichi.” Osamu responded. He was such an annoying man.

I wiped my face and rolled my eyes. “I went over to his apartment after-”

“Wait, you what?” Atsumu glared at me.

“We discussed this. Rein yourself in.” I took a breath and continued. “Don’t you worry, I barely made it in the door before I turned around and left.”

“What did he do?” Osamu immediately stood, ready to go fight for my honor.

“He didn’t do anything.” I waved him back down to the couch. “He has this beautiful amazing wall of photos. It’s full of pictures of the team, him and his friends, his younger siblings. There was one of him and his dad. His dad...we’ve before.”

“How have you met a cop before?” Atsumu asked.

“The night I lost Hiro.” 

“That’s...some kind of joke.” Osamu muttered as the two of them put the pieces together.

“Sick joke, right?” I leaned against Atsumu and he put his arm around my shoulder. “I can’t see him again. I can’t.”

“That’s a worse joke.” Osamu said again.

I turned to look at him. “What does that mean?”

“You’ve had boyfriends before, too many if you ask me,” Atsumu laughed at my expense. “but before Hiro, none of them seemed right. Hiro just clicked, everything between you two just worked out so easily.”

Osamu nodded. “We have known you your whole life, Aimi-girl, and we have to admit… it’s the same with him.”

“With who?”

“With Daichi, idiot.”

I shook my head, “It’s no-” I was about to protest but they’re saying the same things I’ve been thinking these past couple of weeks.

“You haven’t laughed like that since you lost Hiro. You haven’t smiled like that. You haven’t been the same.” Osamu rubbed my hand as he spoke.

“I can’t just move on like that. It’s been...it’s been such a short amount of time.” I blinked away the oncoming tears.

“You do whatever you think you need to do, we just want you to know what we see. We’ve seen it since we saw you talking to him in the stands on that first day. We knew Hiro too and we know he wouldn’t have wanted you to push away something that could help you heal. I fully support whatever you want to do, I’ll make sure you never see him again if that’s what you want.” I had no doubt that Atsumu could do that if he really wanted to. 

“Thank you guys. For now, I’m still going to sit here with these delicious chips and my five minute Gajeel Redfox death.” 

They both got up and headed for their respective bathrooms, mocking me with every step.

* * *

I woke up with the chills around 1 am. I laid there trying to go back to sleep, but I couldn’t. I rolled over and grabbed my phone. I scrolled through Instagram and liked a few photos. A notification popped up of the Karasuno Club page liking one of mine. 

I reached into the bag that was next to my bed and pulled out Daichi’s number. 

**What are you doing up so late?**

He responded in seconds.

_ I’d tell you if I knew who you were. _

**You don’t have early practice, do you?**

_ Not today.  _

**Do you want to hang out?**

_ Like right now? _

**Yes.**

_ Are you a serial killer? _

I laughed.

Not today.

_ Where are we hanging out at 1am when it’s 40 degrees outside? _

Can I come over?

_ You want to drive to my apartment at 1 am? _

Yes.

_ If you know where I live, then I suppose we must be friends. If this is Kageyama or Hinata, I’ll kick you out of the club when you get here. :) _

I got dressed quickly, opting for a pair of leggings and a sweater layered over my pajama shirt. I pulled on one of Osamu’s big jackets and bundled up. I pulled on my favorite boots and quietly slipped out of the house. I got to Daichi’s place in 15 minutes.

I knocked on the door, my hood still wrapped around my face and started shivering. It wasn’t 40 degrees, it was 30 at the most. It seemed like it was about to start snowing or something.

He answered and looked incredibly confused. “Uh-”

I pushed past him and dove onto his couch. “It’s freezing!”

He rubbed his neck and smiled slightly. “It is. There’s a blanket there.” He pointed at the blanket beside me. I took a breath and pulled my jacket off, his eyes widened when he saw me. “Aimi. I really thought you were Hinata.” He took my jacket from me and draped it over the chair behind him. He motioned towards the kitchen, “Can I get you anything? I was making tea.”

I nodded. “Tea sounds incredible.”

He poured us each a cup and set it down in front of me. “I just-”

“I’m sorry!” I leaned my head in my hands and mumbled incoherently. Daichi didn’t say anything. I felt him lean back as he rested against the couch, drinking his tea. I chose that moment, in his living room at 1:30 in the morning to spill my heart out. I told him everything about Hiro, about Hiro and I and about losing Hiro.

“The picture...it just- it was kind of a shocking reality for me.” I motioned to the photo on his wall.

“You know my dad?” Daichi’s face was so concerned when he looked at me.

I nodded and stood up to look at it again. “He was the one who came that night. He was the one who told me that Hiro was dead.”

“Wait, what date was that?”

“May 29th.”

“Shit.” I looked at Daichi and realized I hadn’t heard him curse before. He motioned for me to follow him. “It was you.” I followed him to a closet at the end of the hall. He pulled open the door and I felt my heart burst.

The room was somewhat of a shrine for his dad. It was newspaper clippings, photos, badges and awards. In the middle of it all was a news story about a young father-to-be that passed away and the young fiance he left behind. I remembered that story. Reporters were hounding me to give interviews, but I refused. They didn’t use my name in the article, only Hiro’s.

“He didn’t just break the news to me, he stayed with me for a bit after. He took me to the hospital then the morgue. He checked in on me at least a couple times a week until recently. I haven’t heard from him in a month or so.” I looked at Daichi who stared back at me, his eyes watery. “Is he okay?”

Daichi took a breath before responding. “He’s in hospice.”

“Oh, no.” I reached out for his hand and he closed the space between us. “I’m so sorry, I hadn’t heard.” Daichi nodded and gave me a sad smile. “What did you mean when you said it was me?”

“I’d like to take you to see him when it’s daylight outside. I know he’d like to see you. He used to talk about you all the time, especially when he first got sick.”

“Is it cancer?”

“It is. Stage 4 Metastatic Melanoma.” His voice sounded far away when he responded.

“He never told me.”

He let out a huff of laughter, “It took him collapsing in front of me for him to tell me, so don’t be that surprised.”

I scoffed. “Sounds like him. He came to my first ultrasound, you know? I didn’t know who else to call. My brothers were out of town on a tournament. He insisted.” 

“I had no idea it was you this whole time. He used to talk about your bright blonde hair that matched your bright white smile.” Daichi tugged on a loose strand of my hair and smiled. 

“He used to call me sunshine.”

“That’s how he always referred to you, I didn’t know your name, I just knew you were sunshine.” He laughed again. “He said you were sunshine even in the darkest of situations, like the one that you had to go through.”

“Small world, hm?” I finally let go of his arm and we went back to the living room. I yawned and went towards my jacket. “I didn’t mean to come so late, I just didn’t really know what to say.”

“It’s okay. You can- you can stay if you want.” 

“I couldn’t-” I yawned again and rubbed my eye.

“We have two options here: I send you home looking as tired as you do, your brothers find out and I probably die. Second option, you stay here, they find out and I also probably die. I have to be honest, for the sake of your safety, I’d prefer you stay here.”

“You’re that confident in defending yourself?” I asked playfully as I set the jacket back down.

“I’m a defensive specialist, Aimi.” He looked proud of that remark.

I laughed out loud. “You are, I’ll give you that. I’ll just have to text them and let them know I’m okay or I’ll probably die with you.”

Daichi yawned and nodded. “Come, you take my bed. I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“Daichi, no. I am not taking your bed. I’m perfectly fine on the couch.” I sat on it and sprawled out to make my point.

He laughed softly and shook his head. “You’re going to fight me until I relent, aren’t you?”

“Yes, it’s one of my best traits.” 

“Fine, fine. Let me get you a pillow.” He disappeared down the hall and part of me wanted to follow him to see what his room looked like. He appeared a minute later and handed me a fluffy pillow.

I clutched it and pulled the blanket over my feet. “Thank you.”

“Goodnight, Aimi.”

“Goodnight, Daichi.”

* * *

I woke up the next morning way later than normal. I was on my stomach with my face embedded in Daichi’s pillow. I pushed myself up as I realized I was just laying there, half away, inhaling his scent. I yawned, squeezing my eyes shut, and sat up, forgetting I was on a couch, and rolled right off of it. My back hit the floor with a dull thud.

“My luck-” I groaned. I opened my eyes to see Daichi standing above me, half concern and half amusement across his face. 

“Are you alright?”

“Yes.”

“You fell off the couch?”

“Yes.”

“But you’re okay?”

“Yes.” I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them again.

“I hate to say it, but this isn’t a dream.” He laughed into his mug.

“Just leave me here to rot.” I covered my face with my hands.

“See, I would, because I want to respect your wishes, but I have already talked to your brothers four times this morning.”


	9. Sunshine

I looked up at him with wide eyes. “Why?”

“They’ve called me four times. The first time was in an angry panic because apparently your text to them last night didn’t make much sense.” Daichi sat on the end of the couch. “It said, and I quote ‘Sawamura has me’. That was it. Nothing else.”

I cringed and reached for my phone. “I fell asleep while I was texting Atsumu.

He nodded. “I got the first phone call at 4 am. Did you know they wake up at 4?”

“Unfortunately, yes. They workout until 6 then take what they call an hour long power nap. They’re both idiots sometimes.”

“Hm.” Daichi took another sip from his mug. “The next two phone calls I missed because I fell back asleep. That was clearly a mistake. I haven’t listened to the voicemails yet, but the second one is 3 minutes long. The last voicemail was them threatening me, together I might add, and also very loudly.”

“I’m sorry. They’re crazy.” 

He shrugged. “I can handle it. I told them we had plans today, so I have no doubt they’ll call you as well.” He pointed at my vibrating phone and Osamu’s rare smiling face that showed up on the called ID. Daichi hummed and went into the kitchen. “You should answer that.”

I pressed the phone to my ear, not saying anything.

“AIMI MIYA, YOU ARE IN TROUBLE-”

I heard fumbling as Osamu snatched the phone. “SO MUCH TROUBLE, AIMI!”

“Do you both remember what we discussed last night?” They both got quiet and grumbled. “Let me heal. I love you, big brothers.”

They melted. It worked every time. 

“We love you, Aimi. Text us if you need us. Don’t forget about our game tonight!”

“I’ll be there, I’ll always be there.” I hung up the phone and held my hand out as Daichi handed me a steaming cup of tea.

“So, not in trouble?” 

“Nope. You know how back in high school there were a lot of guys that liked when you called them senpai or upperclassmen.”

Daichi nodded. “There’s still a couple on my team who enjoy that.”

“Well, Atsumu and Osamu melt like ice in the summer if I call them ‘big brother’. It’s my personal get out of jail free card and I have no shame in using it.” I smiled and drank the tea.

Daichi laughed. He looked practically angelic in the morning, the sun coming in from the window in his kitchen framing his head. He was wearing a fitted t-shirt and pajama pants. I looked down at my own clothes. “I should have changed before I came over here, I’m still wearing my pajama shirt.”

Daichi shrugged and jerked his head towards his room. “You can wear something of mine. I’m sure I have something from high school that...well, it won’t fit but it’s not pajamas.” He glanced down at my small figure and chuckled.

“Excuse me , Sawamura, are you making fun of my height?” I crossed my arms and stood up.

“I would never. It’s no wonder you and Noya get along so well though, you are some of the only people I know that can see eye to eye with each other.” He jumped off of the couch as I went to push him off it. 

* * *

Daichi and I stood outside the stark white hospital and I was hesitating about going in.

“Does he know I’m coming?” I asked for the third time.

“No, but he will be happy to see you.”

“I don’t think this is a good idea.” I said for the fifth time.

“It is.” Daichi responded for the fifth time. He took my hand in his and squeezed. “I promise.”

Daichi went in first, happily greeting his dad. I poked my head in just barely and saw him sitting up on his bed playing solitaire. He looked so different from the last time I saw him. His hair was all but gone, little gray hairs poking out in patches. His facial hair had faded as well. He looked thin, but not sickly. He still had that bright smile that he greeted Daichi with.

“Otousan-” Daichi bowed and I found it endearing that he still did that.

His dad smiled and patted him on the back. “Daichi, how are you? It’s so good to see you! I watched you play on TV, we all got together and watched. It was incredible.”

Daichi grinned at him. “Thank you for watching. We had a hard last match, it was a tough loss.” He hugged his dad. “I brought someone to see you.”

“Did you finally bring a girl to meet your old man? Where is she?” Daichi’s dad waggled his eyebrows and I had to fight back a sob that I knew was coming. I was about to walk into his room a blubbering mess. I couldn’t help it anymore. He glanced at the doorway just as I lunged through it, tears already falling. “Oh, sunshine-” He held his arms open, used to seeing me cry like an idiot more than anybody else.

“I-I-I-” I couldn’t get a single word out.

He hugged me tight and smoothed my hair. I finally stopped crying and he pointed to the chair next to his bed. “Sit my girl, it’s been too long. I want to know how this came about.” He pointed at the two of us and we both went red.

“Dad, no, it’s not-”

“We aren’t-”

We looked at each other and sighed. “We’re just friends, pa. She’s related to two brothers that play for the school that has their final game tonight.”

“Ah, yes, the Miya boys. How are they?”

“They’re both well, I’ll tell them you say hi. They’re going to win tonight, I have no doubts.” I said confidently.

“How did you two meet?”

Daichi glanced at me, but I let him answer. “We met at the tournament a couple of weeks ago. We’ve become friends.” 

“We have. He’s helped me a lot.” I glanced at Daichi and smiled slightly. He really has and I realize it more as the days pass.

“Oh, sunshine, how are you? How is the baby? I’m so sorry I haven’t been visiting, they keep me stuck in here.” His eyes were bright and full of hope, but his frown became more prominent as he looked down at my deflating stomach.

I brought my hand over it instinctively and looked down. “I’m-I’m doing okay. I’m doing better. I-I don’t…” I sighed and trailed off. Daichi’s hand found mine again and gave me the voiceless support that I needed. “I had an accident.”

“Oh, Aimi…” His voice broke and it hurt my heart.

I took a breath and pushed forward. “I am okay. I am...I’m doing the best I can. I’m doing better.” His smile turned up slightly in the saddest way. “Your son-” I looked at Daichi and squeezed his hand back. “He’s-he’s-I don’t even have the words. I’m grateful to have met him.”

Daichi smiled gently and turned toward his dad. “She told me the story of how you two met. I had no idea she was the same girl.”

His dad nodded and looked at me. “This is sunshine, in the flesh so to speak.”

“Can I ask you something…” He nodded. “Daichi mentioned you retired a few months ago. I assume it was after Hiro. Why?”

Daichi’s dad seemed lost in thought for a moment before he answered. “It was a good time to retire. And in the end...seeing you in that moment after your loss, being the one that had to come and change your entire world...I didn’t want to do that anymore.”

I bowed my head understandingly. “Thank you for everything. I think I would be in an entirely different place without you in those months after.”

He reached towards me for a hug. We were interrupted when a couple of nurses popped in. “My apologies, Sawamura-san, it’s time for your chemo.”

Daichi and I said our goodbyes and made promises to visit again soon.

The walk back to his car was silent. The ride back to his apartment was silent. 

I got out of his car and fumbled with my car keys.

“You can come in, if you’d like.” Daichi’s hand flew to the back of his neck. “Your brother's game isn’t for another few hours. I can order something for lunch. If you want to.”

I shoved my keys back in my bag. “I do. I really do.”

We spent the rest of the morning and early evening eating sushi and talking. I had never had that before, just someone to talk to, other than Hiro. There was a void inside me that felt like it was being filled, if only slightly.

“We will just have to drive separately, I told a few of the guys I would get them.” He looked at his car as he was mentally noting who he had to get.

“I can help. Who are you getting?”

“Uh-” He scratched his chin. “Everyone?” He laughed.

I smiled and took my phone out. “I assume most of them are at the same place.”

“They are all at the same place, actually.” 

“I can follow you.”

* * *

I pulled up behind Daichi as the guys seemed to be arguing who was going to fit in Daichi’s car. I had no doubt that they would make it so they all fit.

I waved out the driver side window. “I can take some of you too!”

Noya’s eyes lit up. “Shotgun!” He sprinted into my passenger seat and winked at me once he was inside. “Hanging out with the captain, huh?” He winked again and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Shut up, Noya. Who else is coming?” Daichi said sternly.

Hinata was already sliding into the backseat. Kageyama kicked at him to move to the other side.

Asahi, Tanaka and Suga rode with Daichi.

“Why is the short one in the front-” Kageyama muttered loud enough to Noya to hear.

Noya spun around and scowled at him. “Respect your elders, Kageyama! She is the one driving!”

I flicked Noya’s shoulder and glared at him.

* * *

Atsumu and Osamu were about to start warming up when we arrived. I rushed over to the barrier and called their names out. 

“I thought you were going to be late.” Osamu glared at me.

“Did you bring the entire murder?” He motioned behind me at the entirety of the Karasuno team settling in their seats.

“Good luck, big brothers. Though you don’t need it.” They both beamed down at me and leaned over for a hug. I gripped my arms around each of their necks and kissed their cheek. “You’ll win, that’s all there is to it.”

“Aimi-san, can I get a good luck kiss too?” Kita appeared behind them and almost got headbutted by Atsumu. He was lucky they were about to play.

I shook my head. “Not unless you want to die, Kita, but I can add you to my cheer!”

“The cross court screaming you call a cheer? Please don’t.” Osamu muttered as they all walked back to the court.

“Don’t under appreciate me, Miya men, I can be louder!” I called out after them.

I took my seat next to Daichi. I couldn’t help the smile that tugged at my lips when his leg rested against mine. His shoulder rested against mine and he leaned towards me, just slightly. The seat next to him was empty, so it wasn’t out of necessity.

I cheered my heart out, until my voice was raw. The match went the entire final 5 sets. It was match point and the stadium was dead silent as Atsumu went to serve. I held my breath and squeezed my hands as he tossed the ball in the air. As soon as I heard the crack of his hand against the ball, I realized I was squeezing Daichi’s hand. I squeezed it harder when the ball slammed against the floor between three receivers in the perfect service ace. The entire arena was dead quiet for seconds after.

Then, it erupted.

I jumped in the air, no longer able to yell due to my voice almost being gone. I croaked out a few chants of their names and turned towards the Karasuno guys who were half cheering, half stunned. Daichi stood up to congratulate me and I wrapped my arms around his neck in a tight hug. He squeezed his arms around my torso, just as tight, slightly lifting me off the ground.

“What a great game!” Hinata was cheering and jumping and cheering some more.

I held on to Daichi and he held on to me.


	10. Movie Night Pt 1

The Miya Men met me outside of the locker room. 

Atsumu picked me up and spun me in a generous hug while I hit my fists against his shoulders in pure praise. “I told you!” He set me down and I nudged Osamu. “I’m so proud of you guys. All of you!” Kita and Aran appeared behind them, all of them sweaty and smiling. “You’re all amazing!” I gave Aran a high-five and Kita went in for a hug. I returned the hug and stifled a laugh at the look Atsumu shot him.

“I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m going home. I am exhausted and that was the last tournament until January.” Kita slung his arm around my shoulder, completely ignoring Atsumu, and yawned loudly. 

I shrugged him off and smiled politely. “Is everyone going home? No celebrating?” I cleared my throat several times as I was talking, my voice trying its best to hang on.

“I’m tired too. I planned to go home and sit on my Switch for a couple hours.” Osamu readjusted his bag and pushed his hair to the side.

“Stop touching her, Kita. She has a... boyfriend.” Atsumu said the word with such disdain I almost forgot to argue with him.

“Atsumu- he’s not- I’m not- we’re not-” I rolled my eyes and stomped my foot. “We are friends.”

“Do friends hug friends like that?” Kita leaned against Atsumu.

“Nope.” Atsumu responded immediately, crossing his arms.

“I don’t hug my friends like that.” Aran pointed out.

“My friends also don’t hang out like that-” Atsumu jerked his head behind me where Noya and Daichi were off in the distance arguing about something.

“I gave some of them a ride! They’re waiting for me to take them back.” I jumped and hugged them again. “I love you two. You’re idiots and invasive, but I love you.”

“What abou-”

Atsumu cut off Kita with a chop to his side. I choked back a laugh and turned towards my friends, waving them all off.

“Come home right after!” Kita, of all people, called out.

Daichi raised an eyebrow at me as I approached them. “They let you go?”

I pushed his shoulder lightly. “I am not a prisoner!” I sounded like I was croaking the words out.

“She’s cute when she’s pouty.” Noya put his arm on my shoulder and grinned.

“I’m leaving, you can walk!” I turned away and walked off. 

Noya started crying after me.

We reached the cars and I noticed the one Daichi came in was gone. “Um...someone stole your car, Daichi.” I pointed at the empty spot next to mine.

“Suga took everyone else home. It’s just the three of us.”

“How did he fit Asahi, Kageyama AND Tanaka in one car? I mean Hinata would fit in the center console, but everyone else...wow!” 

Daichi and Noya laughed. 

“I’m just down the street, you can drop me first.” Noya slid into the backseat.

I dropped off Noya then parked in front of Daichi’s apartment. 

“Did you want to-”

“Do you think I can-”

We started and stopped talking at the same time. We then both laughed softly.

“Yes. Come in.” Daichi smiled that gentle smile of his and I followed him back into his apartment. “Suga should be returning my car soon, he lives next door.”

“You guys are neighbors? Cute.” I sat on his couch and curled my feet underneath me. I watched Daichi kick his shoes off and stretch slightly. It was ridiculous how good looking he was. His long muscular tan arms led to thick shoulders. I had no idea what he looked like underneath his shirt, but something came over me and I knew that I wanted to.

“Aimi? Did you hear me?”

I was too busy checking him out to realize he was talking to me. I felt my face heat up as I bit my lip and looked at the floor. “No, sorry, what was that?”

Daichi smiled knowingly and pointed towards the kitchen. “Did you want something to drink? It sounds like you’re about to lose your voice.”

I nodded and gratefully accepted the hot tea with lemon that he gave me. I sipped it while Daichi turned on Netflix.

“What would you like to watch? Movie? Show?” As I studied Daichi talking and scrolling through Netflix, I began to recognize the attraction to Netflix and Chill. My shame was nonexistent. I sipped on my tea and it took me another minute to realize that he was looking at me again. I set the cup down. “Are you okay?”

The concern in his voice warmed me so much. “Um, yes. I’m fine- Can I- I just- I want to see something. If not, I mean, it’s fine, but-” I moved closer to him. I scooted towards him on my knees until I was inches from his arm. “I just want to see something-” 

I ran my fingers through his hair as he watched me. I cupped his face with one hand and leaned towards him. He closed the distance until it was centimeters between us. I could feel it. I could feel what I wasn’t sure was there, I could feel it coming from him and I had barely touched him. I could feel every spark and trace of electricity. I hoped he could feel it too.

“Aimi-” He whispered against my mouth. He depleted the space between us and pressed his lips against mine. His hand slid up and held my shoulder. He turned towards me, but let me lead. The kiss was soft and sweet and gentle and everything that I needed. I kissed him back, slowly and softly.

A knock on the door interrupted us, but it felt like hours before we pulled away. He pressed his forehead against mine, pushed my hair back behind my ear and kissed my temple. He sighed then went for the door.

“Daichi! Here’s your keys.” Suga’s warm voice was at the door and my eyes were still stuck staring after Daichi. Suga’s wave interrupted me. “Hi Aimi!”

“Hi! How are you?” I waved back awkwardly. 

“Are we still on for movie night?” Suga glanced behind him.

Daichi rubbed his face. “I completely forgot. I-” He looked back at me.

Suga glanced at me again and shook his head. “I don’t think you’re the one that’s interrupting.” He said something low to Daichi and Daichi all but pushed Suga out, red faced.

“Bye Aimi!” 

I bit my lip to keep from laughing as Daichi locked his door. “What did he say?”

“You really don’t want to know.” Daichi took his spot next to me again and rubbed his palms against his thighs. He was nervous and it made my heart beat a little faster. I was nervous too.

“So...about that movie?” I moved my legs back to hanging over the couch.

Daichi laughed softly and bobbed his head. He picked the controller off of the table and started scrolling again. He put his arm around the back of the couch. I took it as an invitation. I leaned against him and his hand instantly fell to my shoulder as he pulled me toward him.

He was so warm.

A couple of hours later, the movie ended and my head was in his lap. He was absentmindedly stroking my hair, his free hand was holding mine. I rolled slightly to the side and looked up at him. He had a light smile on his face as he looked down at me.

“I think I need to go home and change. I haven’t showered either.” I blurted out.

He let out a huff out laughter. “Okay.”

“I also think I need to prove to my brothers that I’m still alive.” I added.

He nodded. “Wouldn’t want them showing up here too.” He glanced at his phone as it buzzed twice. “Are you-I mean, did you want to come back?”

I smiled and stroked his wrist. “I do. As long as you’re not sick of me.”

He shook his head. “Not possible.” His phone buzzed again.

“Movie night?”

Daichi sighed. “Yeah, we do it once a week. Pizza, massive amounts of junk food, the works.” His eyes lit up as he looked at me. “I can postpone it-”

“No, no. Please. Don’t do that. Have your movie night.” I rolled off of the couch and smoothed my hair back.

“I’d love for you to come. It’s just the guys and movies.” He was still holding onto my hand as I stood in front of him.

“I’d love to. What time does everyone usually come over?” 

At that moment, there was loud knocking at his door. He laughed and rolled his eyes. “Now-ish.”

I reached for my keys on the counter after he walked me to the door. “I’ll be back in an hour.” I looked up at him and he grinned down at me.

He moved both of his hands up to my face, settling on my jaw. I wrapped mine around his waist and pulled him against me. I rested my chin on his chest and smiled up at him. He leaned down and pressed his lips against my forehead. 

The knocking got louder and we let go. 

“Daichi- what’s taking so long? Are you-” Daichi pulled the door open before Noya could finish his sentence. “OH! Aimi!”

Hinata poked his head around the corner. “Aimi! Hi! Are you joining us?”

I gave them a small smile and nodded. “I just have to go home and shower.”

“Why don’t you just-” Noya was interrupted again, the second time by Suga.

“Leave her alone! We will see you soon, I’ll save you a spot.”

I stepped aside as Noya, Hinata, Kageyama and a pair of guys I hadn’t met before bounded into Daichi’s apartment. 

The last two stopped in front of me. They were giants. My eyes widened as they looked me up and down. 

“Hi.” The brown haired one greeted me with an expressionless face.

“Aimi...Aimi...where do I know you from?” The gray haired one leaned against the doorframe.

“I’m not sure-”

“MIYA! You’re the Miya girl! I’ve seen you screaming like a lunatic on the sidelines before.” The gray haired guy stuck his hand out. “Kotaro Bokuto. Call me Bokuto.”

“Nice to meet you-”

The brown haired one stepped in front of Bokuto. “Keiji Akaashi. Ignore this idiot.”

Bokuto frowned and pushed past Akaashi. “Don’t be such a jerk, ‘Kaashi.”

Daichi sighed and walked me to my car. “I’ll see you soon.”

I hugged him tight and smiled as he stayed outside until I couldn’t see him in my mirror anymore.

* * *

I stepped out of the shower and started blow drying my hair. I got through a quarter of it before I gave up, that action alone was going to take another hour. I towel dried the rest of it as I stood in front of my closet. 

What the hell should I wear? It was just a movie night, but Daichi was there. What if I stayed the night again? What if I didn’t sleep on the couch? I knew we wouldn’t be having sex, so at least I didn’t have to worry about that, but should I pack something? Should I bring extra clothes, just in case? Should I bring a toothbrush? Nobody should be assaulted by morning breath.

I groaned and leaned against my wall, second guessing even going.

“What’s wrong with you?” Osamu’s voice from the hallway made me jump.

“Nothing’s wrong, I’m good.”

“She’s lying.” Atsumu called out from down the hall.

“Why are you two always in my business!” 

“Why is your door always open?” Osamu challenged as I rolled my eyes. 

Atsumu appeared next to him and stared at me. “Where are you going?”

I turned my back on them. “To my friend's house.”

“You don’t have friends.” 

“I do have friends!”

“What are their names?” I turned to see Osamu stubbornly crossing his arms.

“I’m going to Daichi’s apartment for movie night.” I pulled open my dresser drawer and looked inside.

“By yourself?”

“No. There’s other people there.”

“Who?”

I huffed and pulled out a dark gray fitted shirt. “Suga, Noya, Hinata, Asahi and two new guys I haven’t met before. Bokuto and Akaashi-”

“Bokuto and Akaashi?” Atsumu’s jaw dropped. “Those two together are a disaster waiting to happen. We are going with you.”

“Um- what?” I shook my head. “No-no-no-”

“I’ll drive.” Osamu and Atsumu disappeared into their room. They had already decided they were going to be coming with me whether I liked it or not.

I pulled on a pair of skinny jeans then flats. I grabbed a sweater and went to the living room. One of them had already taken the keys.

“Fuck.”


	11. Movie Night Pt 2

I texted Daichi as we parked in front of his apartment.

**I just want to say...I’m sorry for this.**

_ What’s wrong? You’re still coming, right? _

**Yes, but I’m not alone.**

_ Oh, gotcha. No worries. I had to face the gauntlet eventually, right?  _

I laughed and avoided my brother's curious gaze. “Let’s go, nosy ass people.”

Bokuto answered the door with a smile that faded when he saw my brothers behind me. “Atsumu. Osamu. The invitation-”

“Shut up, Bokuto, let them in.” Akaashi called out from behind him. 

Bokuto glared and left the door open. He sat next to Akaashi and started pouting. It was kind of adorable. He continued glaring at them as they made their way in.

I found Daichi in the kitchen ordering pizza. He smiled as soon as he saw me. “It’s been too long.”

I laughed and squeezed his arm. “Way too long.” I glanced back into the living room. “They both insisted on coming. I don’t know why, but as soon as I mentioned Bokuto and Akaashi were here, they said they needed to come.”

Daichi laughed and shrugged. “They have a bit of a rivalry going on. They attended a training camp together and Atsumu spent the entire time trying to throw sets that Bokuto couldn’t hit, but Bokuto always hit them.” He smiled at the memory. “I also recall a rumor that Osamu walked in on Bokuto and Akaashi in the showers together after a game. I don’t know which of the three was more mortified. Then again, I don’t think Bokuto has ever been mortified.” He finished putting in the order for pizza and went towards his fridge. “Want something to drink?”

“Yes, please. What do you have?” I glanced in his fridge and chose a beer.

“The food will be here soon, they have the rest of it spread out in an absolute mess in the living room.” Daichi narrowed his eyes at the chaos that was happening in his living room.

Bokuto was already arguing with Atsumu. Akaashi and Osamu were purposefully and awkwardly avoiding each other. Hinata and Noya were playing some video game that seemed very involved. Kageyama was eating everything in front of him. Suga sat in the middle of the couch, being squished by everyone.

“Someone should save Suga.” I said to Daichi. He looked and smiled at the scene of idiots in front of him. “I hope you ordered like...12 pizzas.” 

“I probably should have.” Daichi reached for my hand. “They like to pretend we are ‘old school’ so they bust out the older video games and board games. How about a game of Uno?” He held up the large deck of cards.

“I’m so down.” 

“DAICHI HAS THE UNO CARDS!” Noya pointed and shouted.

“It gets competitive. Just so you know.” Daichi whispered as we sat on the floor. “Who’s in?”

An hour into the most intense uno game I’ve ever played in my life and we still didn’t have a winner. Atsumu and Daichi each had Uno and they sat right next to each other, the cards going towards Atsumu.

Noya laid down a yellow 6. There were 15 minute long arguments about what card Daichi and Atsumu had left. I knew what Daichi had and I knew what Atsumu had. I also knew that Atsumu was about to lose.

“How about we raise the stakes?” Bokuto said excitedly.

“Everyone guesses what card Daichi has, whoever is right wins.”

“What do we win?” Kageyama asked intensely. He looked so serious it was kind of scary.

“Hmm.” Bokuto hummed and stared into Daichi’s soul. “They win...whatever they want. Daichi has to do whatever they want!”

“I don’t think-” Daichi tried to argue.

“You don’t really think anybody knows what card you have, do you?” Osamu asked.

“What happens if nobody gets it?”

“Then we all do one thing that Daichi wants, duh.” Bokuto leaned against Akaashi happily.

“Let’s do it!” Hinata shouted.

Everyone guessed. Everyone was wrong. Then it was my turn.

I crossed my arms and tapped my finger on my chin. “Anything I want, eh?” I considered that for a moment. Daichi looked nervous and it made me chuckle. 

“You could be wrong, sunshine.” 

I smiled at that and shook my head. “I’m not. You’ve been too quiet. You either have...a regular wild card or a draw 4 wild card. Going by how nervous you looked when Kageyama played that reverse card, I think you have a draw 4 card and wanted to use it on my loving brother over there.” I leaned across the table and plucked the card from Daichi’s hand. It was a wild draw 4. I smiled widely. “I’m holding onto this prize until an opportune time.”

“You were really going to throw a draw 4 at me? If you’re dating my sister, we have to at least pretend to be friendly.”

I rolled my eyes and threw my 6 cards at Atsumu. “Shut up, stupid!” 

Hinata gasped. “She calls you stupid?”

“I call ‘em like I see ‘em, ginger.” I picked up a slice of pizza and grinned at my scowling older brother.

The night went on like that until it was around midnight. A few of the guys still hung around, my brothers included. They were drinking a beer with Bokuto and Akaashi. I was trying to stay awake, half of my bodyweight leaning against Daichi. My eyes finally closed and I gave up on trying to reopen them. My head fell against his shoulder. He was deep in a conversation with the other guys about a tournament that was a couple of months away. These guys lived for volleyball, it was crazy.

“THAT’S BULLSHIT AND YOU KNOW IT, ATSUMU! You spent that entire camp trying not to let me hit and I hit all of them anyway!” Bokuto yelled across the living room.

My eyes popped open. “You tell him, Bokuto- he is rude like that all the time.” I rubbed my eyes as the five of them stared at me. “Y’know we used to play together in middle school. C’mon...ask ‘Tsumu who taught him how to set.” I yawned and pointed a finger at myself. “Little sister Miya did, thas-right.”

Osamu bursted into a fit of drunken laughter, Bokuto followed. Akaashi looked like he forgot I was there and Atsumu death glared at me. I pushed my head under Daichi’s arm and he put it over my shoulder. I snuggled against his warm chest and closed my eyes again.

“Did she just wake up to talk shit about me?” Atsumu’s comment was met with more laughter.

I stirred again a little while after. I vaguely heard Osamu and Atsumu quietly telling Daichi I should stay there. They were okay with it.

Bokuto was way too close to me, telling Daichi how cute we looked. I heard a yelp then what I had to assume was Akaashi dragging him out of Daichi’s apartment. 

I felt a gentle nudge and Daichi’s whisper, “Hey, did you want to stay out here?”

I answered the question within the question. “Not by myself.” I sat up and rubbed my eyes.

He stood up and held his hand out. “Come.”

I took his hand and he led me to his bedroom. His bedroom wasn’t that different from the rest of his place. The biggest differences were that it just seemed more comfortable. He had a soft gray comforter and dark sheets, huge pillows, bigger than anybody should ever have. I pulled off the sweater I was still wearing and set it on his computer chair where his sweater was. 

He pretended to be studying something on his laptop, but I knew he was turning so I could change. I pulled off my t-shirt and my jeans. I looked down at my body and suddenly felt self conscious. 

As if he sensed my hesitation, Daichi walked towards his closet, still keeping his back on me. “Do you want to sleep in one of mine?”

“Yes, please.” He handed me a black Karasuno shirt and I snorted at it. “Are you trying to tell me something, Sawamura?” 

“Just inviting you to the darkside, love.” 

I slipped the shirt on and pulled his covers back. He came to the side of the bed and grabbed a pillow. “Wait-wait, no.” I snatched the pillow from him and he looked surprised. “Sleep in here. With me. Next to me.”

A small smile spread across his handsome face and he nodded. “If you insist.” He went back near his closet and kicked his shorts off, revealing tight black boxers under. He seemed to hesitate with his shirt.

“You should sleep how you normally sleep. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”

Daichi blushed, even in the dark room I could see it. “I’m not uncomfortable.” He pulled the shirt off and tossed it in a hamper. My eyes were glued to him as he climbed into the bed next to me. He pulled the light sheet up to his waist and rolled over onto his side. “Had any thoughts about your grand prize?”

“Some. Nothing definitive.” 

“Shame. I already know what I would have had you do.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Do you now?”

He nodded and smiled sheepishly.

“Maybe I’ll do it anyways.”

“Oh yeah?”

I shrugged and turned to face him. “Depends on what it was.”

“Well, one of the things definitely would have been to have you sleep next to me, so I’m glad I got that wish granted. But if I won...I suppose I would have asked for another kiss.”

I scooted a little closer to him. “Just a kiss?”

He hummed. “Mhm.”

“I don’t think you need to win anything to get a kiss from me.” 

His warm palm splayed across the bottom of my jaw, his thumb traced my cheek. I closed my eyes at his touch. He tilted my chin up slightly and leaned towards me. His lips hit mine and I felt it all over again. The initial jolt from his mouth to mine, the continued electricity that pulsed through my body. I kissed him back until I was breathless. When I finally pulled back, our lips still centimeters apart, my breath came out in heavy pants. I slid my hand up his arm, his sculpted bicep and over his shoulder. I slid my hand into his hair and kissed him again. His hand glided around to the nape of my neck. I parted my lips and felt his tongue against mine. Everything about him felt good. It felt right. 

He ran his fingers through my hair slowly until he reached the ends of it and rested his hand on my hip. “You’re so pretty.” He whispered against my mouth and it made me blush wildly. He kissed my hot cheeks and then my nose.

I kissed him once more before he hugged me tight, wrapping his arms around me. I fell asleep just like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if I'm still going with this, I'm undecided as of now. Thank you for reading, it means the world.


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